Shri Varad Vinayak Temple is an ancient shrine located at Mahad in
Raigad District of
Maharashtra. It is considered to be one of the Ashta Vinayak shrines of the state, celebrating eight instances of legends related to
Lord Ganesh.
This east facing temple enshrines the idols of Lord Ganesh and his consorts Siddhi and Buddhi. Two images of Ganesh can be seen here, the newer one inside the sanctum and the older one outside it. Among the idols, one is made of white marble and the other is covered with sindoor.
The temple has a holy pond and a gomukh, a visage of a cow from which flows the tirth holy water. Each corner of the temple has the statutes of elephants in pairs. The temple also houses an eternal lamp, which has been burning since 1892 AD.
Varad Vinayak Temple is on the Pune-Mumbai Highway, about 20 km from Khandala. Khed Railway Station, situated on the Konkan Railways, is the nearest railhead.
